Wednesday, July 2

Team Leaving

Well, it appears that $75 million is the magic number.

The City of Seattle accepted a cash payout of $75 million from the PBC to allow the Sonics to leave their home of 41 years and move to Oklahoma City. That amount may or may not be repaid by Clay Bennett, et al if the city were to receive another team in the Sonics' stead.

That totally sucks big-time. David Stern & Clay Bennett win. Seattle and its dedicated fans are big losers, but the biggest loser of all is Mayor Nickels. This is a crime perpetrated by David Stern against Seattle and all NBA fans.

Many of us will carry on the fight against the corruption of David Stern. Who gives a rip about another NBA team coming here? Who would want them anyway? Stern's atrocities have to be exposed to everyone. Call Mayor Nickels at 206-684-4000 and let him know what you think of his decision. Please do not jump off any bridges. This isn't worth anyone's suicide, but it's worth fighting to bring David Stern down.

You guys got a raw deal today. A very raw deal. It's easy to blame Bennett, and Schultz, but the truth is that Nickels so badly dropped the ball on this. I hope he loses this year's election, or whenever he's up for it, just because he's a clown. The City of Seattle should be embarrassed. It's embarrassing to say that I thought the trial was a slam dunk for the city's favor, and what they were really interested was in more money from Bennett. Embarrassing. Every side, minus Sonics fans, should be embarrassed today. It's just embarrassing. It's sad for me. And I'm not a Sonics fan.

There's an unsubstantiated rumor that the Sonics may still stay one more year or half the year, i.e., we may split the home games with OKC this coming season in some manner. I don't know. That comes from someone who knows someone who's supposed to know something. Take it with a grain of salt.

WOW !!! Why does this not surprise me.. the city that refused to pony up any cash for a new facility accepts the buyout offer...Three words to our political regime.. GROW A PAIR.. this is a travisty. I liken the outcome to a parent auctioning off their kid on EBAY.. Yes the Sonics were our first born child.. this sucks.. I guess capitalism really does rule.. I do not know why we can't stand up on principal to some rich baby from Oklahoma..

Not that any of you will feel better, but this may open the door to steal the Grizzlies out of Memphis where they never belonged in the first place. The Seattle Soni zzlies. Doesn't quite have the same ring to it. David Stern is a total douchebag for allowing this to happen.

We get $45mil and we can get another $30mil IF the state pays $75mil in coordination with the city paying $75mil for stadium upgrades and then we only get that $30mil IF the NBA doesn't give us a team in 5 years.

What is $30mil to the NBA...nothing, all they have to do is pay us and then they have no other real reason to get a team to us.

A disgrace. The fans get nothing, but the shaft anyhow. This allows Nickles to blame the State and get something in exchange for the arena being empty 40+ days of the year.

Also, count me in as not caring about an expansion team or the keeping of the team record. The stain of the record of the last year being worse than the original expansion team should follow Clay where ever he goes.

He's said that he won't make any upgrades to Key Arena until they have a clear commitment to bring a team to town...while Bennett, in his press conference, said that basically Seattle has to upgrade Key Arena and then the NBA has five years to consider moving a team here.

I think there might be some "promises" made that aren't about to be admitted to (i.e., likely teams to move)...meaning this process just keeps getting dirtier and dirtier...

I told you so! There's no place like Okla-home-a! Dorothy has left the Emerald City! Now we can see just how loyal you fans really are. I bet it's nothing compared to your constant dribble. See you at the game!

Does Seattle get to keep the name Sonics for a future NBA team?Subject to NBA approval, the Sonics name will be reserved for a future NBA franchise and our team will share Sonics history with a future Seattle team.

From the get-go, that was the most important part of negotiations within a buyout -- no matter what those of whom who moronically rambled on about it either being this roster or bust -- since without an expansion team in two years, this'd be like getting fucked in the ass without any lube.

Here's to hoping that Seattle, Washington and Kansas City, Missouri are awarded expansion teams to begin play in 2010-2011.

I'm going to buy a Kevin Durant jersey, because it's cheap, and because I wanted to. Now that everything is being sold off it's finanically worth it. The memories of every screwed Sonics fan isn't though.

You guys need to suck it up. Yeah, be hacked off...but know who you need to be angry with before you start to sound like a bunch of children. The team was sold (yes, SOLD. not stolen) due to the pitiful arena lease. The new owner gave a one year deadline to have a new deal arranged. The deadline came and went without your city or state level politicians even going so far as to debate it. Blame, obviously, can be placed on the political entities of both Seattle and the state of Washington. But to throw mud at Oklahoma City and/or Clay Bennett is without merit. It seems rather absurd to accuse a man of theft when he's paid $350 million dollars for the very team he's supposedly stealing. In all honesty, I do feel for you all to an extent. I was a Houston Oilers fan and I know how it feels to be suddenly without a team in the sport you love. It sucks, but to continually degrade Oklahoma and David Stern isn't going to do anything positive for your situation.

WHAT A GREAT DAY FOR THE NBA, MR. STERN, MR. BENNET, AND MOST OF ALL OKLAHOMA CITY!!! IM LOOKIN FORWARD TO WITNESSING MANY YEARS OF HIGH QUALITY BASKETBALL BY MY OKC WHUTEVERS. SEATLE U LOSE THIS ONE, GET OVER IT AND MAYBE IF YOU TAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS ONE DAY U MIGHT ONCE AGAIN BE AN NBA CITY LIKE OKC.

This is just sad. Granted, I'm a Laker fan, but I have no real animosity towards the Sonics (now, the Jazz, the Spurs, and the Clippers, there's plenty of hatred there), and was rooting for a major Oden/Durant rivalry. Now, that's largely over, and all because Stern didn't want Shinn (another big-time scumbag) to move the Hornets.

F'n pathetic, OKC fans who have crawled over here to bask in our grief. I'm certain if the situation were reversed you'd be doing the same thing we are...lashing out at everyone and anything that was responsible for this debacle.

The leadership of the city failed us today, just as the leadership of Olympia failed before them. Thus, they can start the stopwatch on their political careers, because they will not be leaders here again.

Oklahoma, enjoy your newly pilfered franchise. All we can ask is that you leave us to grieve in peace.

You're a little too arrogant. "We"'re not here to bask in your grief. Honestly, after the cornucopia of name calling from the majority of Sonics fans, I don't really give a rip how you do or do not feel. This assumption that we're only interested in what you are doing, rather than the team, is beyond my understanding. "We" are here to get the latest on the Sonics. If you only listen to one side of the story, you're only getting half of the story. Maybe you all should check into that line of thinking.

It is beyond your understanding apparently. If you were only interested in getting the latest on the Soincs, then you wouldn't have to leave a snarky comment. What don't you understand about "All we can ask is that you let us grieve in peace?" That is arrogance?! Get the fuck out here.

Omerta,I almost did not reply to your comment as it seemingly made no sense to me...

Do you work for the City of Seattle Govn't or the State of WA ?I think the fact you mispelled Sonics was a dead give away...

Additionally.. I have been a Sonic fan since around 1968.. I grew up watching Spencer Haywood, Fred Brown, Dennis Johnson and fondly remember ripping off Slick Watts wrist band after a game. Additionally I attended the All Star Game in Seattle and saw Tom Chambers get MVP.. (thanks to Magic Johnson). Went to the Westen Conference Semifinal game at HecEd against Dallas because the Coliseum was leaking and the Kingdome was booked for another event due to the fact no one expected the Sonics to make it that far into the playoffs. Me and my friend chanted Hey Dick,, What's the Motta after the Sonics took a commanding lead and went on to take a 3-1 series lead.

Two highlights of my oldest son's life were when Eric Snow who shook his hand and asked him his name after a game, and running into Ray Allen in Cabo on his senior trip and spending an hour talking basketball.

I went to Lenny/Wilkens/Trensvant BBall camp as a kid and remember when Lenny was Player/Coach of the Sonics..

This is my long winded way of saying I am not only interested in getting the latest on the Sonics.. I am just very upset and saddend by the events that allowed this to happen. For me there has been no more Seattle team that has been a bigger part of my history in Seattle and that of my children. There are a whole generation of future BBall fans that may never get to have some of the same memories that I have had.. If that is arrogance then put me at the top of the list.

Omerta, I'll no sooner "get the ---- out of here" than you'll attain some sense of tact. My point is that ranting and raving, with extreme venom, against Oklahoma in general does nothing but make Seattle look bitter and mean-spirited. My younger brother is stationed up there, and I've visited several times. Honestly, the only negative experience I've had with the city is via guys like you over the internet. The only reason the "snarky" comment was thrown out there was to balance some of the complete bs I'm reading abut OKC. I've got nothing negative to say about Seattle, its people, or its culture. I do have several negative opinions of a particular majority of a nitch market. That is new and won't go away any time soon.